The CHAMPION Project

The CHAMPION Project was an innovative six-year initiative (2008-2014) to increase men's positive involvement in preventing the spread of HIV in Tanzania. Supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the project took a holistic approach to HIV prevention and addresses the underlying gender issues that drive HIV transmission.

Because of power imbalances in sexual relationships, women are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. More than half of the 1.4 million people living with HIV in Tanzania are women. To lessen the impact of HIV on women and to improve the health of both women and men, gender-related behavior and roles need to be addressed. CHAMPION worked closely with the Government of Tanzania, local partners, and communities across Tanzania to reduce men’s high-risk sexual behaviors by:

Reducing men's high-risk behaviors

Promoting fidelity and a reduction in the number of sexual partners

Eliminating gender-based violence

Increasing men's participation in health services

CHAMPION built on EngenderHealth's Men As Partners® and HIV programs and involved collaboration with FHI 360 and diverse local partners, including the Tanzania Commission for AIDS, the National Muslim Council of Tanzania, and soccer clubs.

Key Project Achievements

Over the life of the project, CHAMPION reached over 345,000 individuals with HIV and reproductive health interventions, and over 260,000 individuals with gender-based violence prevention interventions.

CHAMPION’s programming principles, strategic approach, and utilization of best practices provided the foundation for effective programs that contributed to the achievement of the project’s goal. These achievements have been highlighted in 16 project briefs, available below as PDF files.